The EU’s Hypocrisy: From Human Rights Abuses to Climate Inaction

Since its foundation, the European Union has prided itself in standing up for human rights, dignity and freedom. It has created an identity of upholding justice, solidarity and equality. Yet, time and time again, the actions of the European Union don’t match the words they put on paper. And recently, we’re seeing more examples of EU decisions that contradict its own treaties. EU’s hypocrisy can be seen in the human rights abuses it funds in other countries, it’s crackdown on minority rights within member states or through its inaction for our shared climate.

“The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail”.

– Article 2, Treaty on European Union

The European Union’s Handling of Migrants and Refugees: from Lesbos to the Sahara Desert

Over the past decade, thousands of migrants and refugees have died in the Mediterranean Sea, as they have tried to reach safety in Europe. Many Europeans remember the image of the dead child, wiped up with the waves on a beach in Lesbos. A harrowing image, that became a symbol of the human rights implications when there are no safe routes for refugees to Europe.

After 2015, European politicians began talking about the “refugee crisis” or “migrant crisis” in Europe. As if it is the people themselves that make up a crisis, rather than the wars, conflicts, climate catastrophes, poverty or persecution they flee from. European member states started to do even more to push back on migrants and refugees. They instated harsher treatment of migrants and internal border controls were reinstated. Frontex, the EU’s own border agency, was found complicit in human rights abuses at Europe’s borders (by, among others, Human Rights Watch).

In a new investigation by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with the Washington Post, Le Monde and many others, it is revealed that the EU knowingly funds, and in some instances is directly involved in systematic racial profiling detention and expulsion of Black communities across at least three North African countries.

As the EU advocates for human rights abroad, they are simultaneously funding anti-migrant and racist operations in Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia. The investigation shows evidence of EU’s involvement in “Desert Dumps,” where refugees and migrant workers – some with legal status – are loaded onto buses and driven to often arid desert areas. They are left without any assistance, water or food. Authorities put them at risk of kidnapping, torture, sexual violence and in some cases even death. Others are driven to border areas and sold to human traffickers.

Through the EU Trust Fund, over €400 million has been given to Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania for migration management.

The investigation revealed that the EU is directly funding the Moroccan paramilitary auxiliary forces who are perpetrating the “Desert Dumps”. It also showed the the EU has known about these human rights abuses for years. And, not only has the EU known about this repressive system, it has made it possible by supporting with money, vehicles, equipment, intelligence and security forces.

To avoid images like the child, face down in the wet sand, at Europe’s Mediterranean border, the EU funds push backs of migrants in North Africa. All so that Europeans will avoid “seeing” the abuses here. Instead of dealing with the polycrisis that lead to a surge in refugees forced to flee their homes, the EU continues to fight the refugees themselves.

Other Examples of EU’s Hypocrisy

In a recent conversation on the Hey Changemaker! Podcast, Emmanuel Achiri, Policy and Advocacy Officer at the European Network Against Racism, outlines how the new EU Migration Pact directly contradicts the EU’s own anti-racism policies. The fact that Europe is on the one hand increasing member state’s ability to push back on migrants and refugees through e.g. racial profiling and stop and searches, and on the other hand committing to the EU action plan against racism.

The EU Action Plan Against Racism was put in place in 2020, after the brutal murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protest that spread across the world.

Emmanuel Achiri says that there is no “refugee crisis” but that there is a crisis in European Identity.

“So you see this deep sense of hypocrisy where you have EU politicians even anticipating stopping movement for crisis that they are directly responsible for contributing and continuing to contribute.”

Emmanuel Achiri goes on to acknowledge this European hypocrisy in light of Israel’s onslaught of Gaza. European countries continue to arm Israel, despite the country being accused of war crimes and genocide. Yet, at the same time, they strike a deal with Egypt in anticipation of mass migration from Gaza.

Europe has also been criticized for saying one thing and doing another in regards to the climate crisis.

Despite being a proactive voice in international forums like COP, the EU has been repeatedly critisized for its hypocritical decisions. Many climate experts critisized the EU-Mercosur trade deal in the midst of rising rates of deforestation and climate denial in Mercosur countries. In the midst of the farmer protests in central Europe, the far-right has pressured Europe to make concessions to climate and environmental policies.

In an upcoming Hey Changemaker! Podcast episode, Chiara Martinelli from Climate Action Network Europe explains that Europe has been a leader in making sure agreements like those at UN climate conferences are progressive, yet still seem to fail at being progressive at home.

Vote for Humanity in the EU Elections

The EU Elections are taking place later this week. Therefore, we must understand which parties and members of European Parliament are willing to break the cycle of EU’s hypocrisy. Several international expert organizations and human rights and advocacy networks have conducted research to help us do so.

ActionAid International has developed scorecards on women’s rights, climate justice, global inequalities, migration and the Gaza crisis. These scorecards rate the various groupings in the European Parliament on the various issues.

Climate Action Network Europe has put together a comprehensive scoreboard of all parties in the European Union. The scores are related to climate, nature and pollution and can be filtered by party groups, and parties on a national level. The parties have been named as protectors, procrastinators and pre-historic thinkers.

The European Network Against Racism have asked candidates to sign a pledge against racism and for racial justice. You can still ask your potential candidates to sign the pledge and view a list of all the candidates who have signed.

The European elections are important to take a stand for humanity and to turn the tide of European hypocrisy.

Not only do the far-right parties, or the pre-historic thinkers as CAN Europe calls them, pose a threat to our shared earth and future. Previously progressive parties that are now increasingly collaborating with far-right parties, are also a threat to individual rights and freedoms as well. That is why individual voters must be vigilant who they vote for in the 2024 EU elections. It is time for Europeans to side with humanity – not just in words, but also in action.